Legislative Leaders Say They Won’t Draw New Maps This Session

Legislative leaders in Kentucky say the issue of redistricting is over for the current session.

Lawmakers drew new maps of their districts earlier this year to reflect the latest census data. But the state Supreme Court ruled that the maps were unconstitutional and threw them out.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo says there’s no need to redraw maps this year because,after this November, there are no legislative elections until 2014.

“You can do it in 2013. As long as it falls before the next election cycle. I think that’s what the court’s saying,” he says.

Candidates for the General Assembly this year will run in the districts that were drawn in 2002.

Senate President David Williams released a statement after the court’s ruling last week saying he was fine with his chamber using those previously-drawn districts for this election cycle.

Stumbo says the wait is not without precedent, saying the legislature did not take up redistricting in the 1980s until 1983. He says lawmakers may try to redraw the Supreme Court districts before April, but those talks are preliminary.